EUGENE -- Oregon basketball coach Dana Altman returned from his latest recruiting trip Wednesday afternoon knowing that the next time he visits a prospect he can assure him he'll be around throughout their college careers.

The university announced Wednesday a three-year extension to his contract that now runs through the 2019-20 season, with the major financial terms unchanged from the seven-year contract he signed in February 2011. He earns a base salary of $450,000 in addition to $1.35 million per year for his duties with the media and "in consideration of activities arising out of University's agreement with Nike."

Altman's $1.8 million compensation in 2012, which won't change under the amended contract's terms, ranked 20th among college basketball coaches, according to USA Today's salary database.

"I'm excited," he said Wednesday before his No. 14 Ducks (4-0) practiced ahead of their three-day home tournament beginning Friday at noon against Pacific. He is in his fourth season at Oregon. His 2012 team finished 28-9 and advanced to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 for the first time since 2007.

"I appreciate the university, in particular, Rob (Mullens, UO's athletic director), having the confidence in our staff to try to build something here and it does take a little time to get established and I think our staff's done a good job of that. We're on some good recruits and I think the long term looks pretty good. Hopefully we'll just continue to develop."

His pay doesn't include bonuses for NCAA tournament appearances, a 15 percent cut of season ticket receipts above $4 million or membership at the Eugene Country Club and Downtown Athletic Club, among others, that were part of his initial contract. Until the contract is obtained via a public records request, it's unclear whether the bonuses or fringe benefits will change under the new extension.

Though he didn't say the extension was spurred by recruiting concerns -- more likely it was Altman's 73 wins in three seasons, one shy of a school record -- Altman's extra three years should allay any in the future. He said the topic was broached during recruiting trips, queries he didn't have an answer to knowing his initial contract ran through the 2016-17 season.

"I think a lot of recruits ask that, 'where are you at in your contract?' whether it's me or anybody else," he said. "It was brought up."

Senior point guard Johnathan Loyd was Altman's first recruit at Oregon, and said he believes UO is the final coaching destination for Altman, who will be 62 when the contract expires.

"He's been saying he wants to stay here for a long time so it sounds like it," Loyd said.

Asked if he would be in Eugene for a while, Altman said, "Oh, absolutely."

"I'm getting old, 55, I'm not sure how many years I have left and I want to make them good years and this is a great place," he said. "I've been really fortunate the last 20 years coaching at Creighton and here. People have been unbelievable."

In a news release, Mullens said that, “Dana has been masterful at elevating Oregon basketball and generating renewed excitement for our program. We have high expectations at Oregon to regularly compete for PAC-12 championships coupled with deep NCAA tournament runs and Dana is the right coach to lead us there."

Altman and his staff signed a four-person recruiting class for 2014 last week that includes prep point guard Casey Benson and prep forward Ray Kosongo and junior college transfers Dwayne Benjamin and Michael Chandler.

The current Ducks are unbeaten and with their highest ranking since Jan. 30, 2013, when UO was 10th. Oregon plays Pacific at noon Friday at Matthew Knight Arena to open the Global Sports Hardwood Challenge. As part of the tournament UO will play North Dakota on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and North Dakota on Sunday at 7 p.m.